Grand Voyage through Turkey: A 7-Day Private Tour of Istanbul and Cappadocia

It is a captivating city, characterized by a blend of museums, bazaars, minarets, mosques, churches, palaces, and restaurants catering to every taste, custom, and its fifteen million inhabitants.
In the afternoon, you will enjoy a 2-hour private Bosphorus yacht trip from 15:00 to 17:00. This excursion by yacht takes you along the waterway that separates Europe and Asia. The shores are lined with old wooden villas, marble palaces, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the trip, you will see magnificent sights including Dolmabahce Palace, the parks and imperial pavilions of Yildiz Palace further along, and Ciragan Palace, whose 300-meter marble facade faces the shore. In Ortakoy, artists gather every Sunday to display their work along the streets—a symbol of tolerance with a church, mosque, and synagogue existing side by side for centuries. You will also see the RUMELI FORTRESS (viewed from the boat), built in 1452 by Mehmet the Conqueror in just four months to control and protect the Bosporus passage—a masterpiece of military architecture. BEYLERBEYI PALACE (viewed from the boat), the summer residence of Ottoman sultans, shines in its original renovated glory with antique furniture and magnificent gardens on the Asian side of Istanbul.

After the trip, return to the hotel for relaxation. Overnight in Istanbul.

In the afternoon, you can take an optional ATV Safari. This is a great way to get off the beaten track in Cappadocia! Take an ATV Safari tour through the most beautiful of Cappadocia’s spectacular rock-cut valleys. These sturdy ATVs provide an opportunity for great sight-seeing, enabling you to roam the hills, valleys, dunes, and trails of Cappadocia.

While enjoying a light breakfast, you will watch the inflation of the balloon and receive a passenger briefing that explains the basic rules and safety measures for the flight. Then, it’s time to climb into the basket, and the highlight of your Turkey trip begins! The takeoff is gentle, and soon you will be taking hundreds of pictures over the valleys of Cappadocia. After landing, there is a small celebration with champagne, and you will receive a flight certificate. You will be driven back to your hotel around 8:30 am, just in time for breakfast, before starting the daily tour.

After breakfast, we will depart to visit:

Uchisar Castle (from the outside): the highest point in Cappadocia.
Goreme Open Air Museum: the Heart of Cappadocia, famous for its frescoes dating to the 10th century that describe the life of Jesus Christ and monks.
Cavusin: an abandoned village with old cave Greek houses.
Love Valley: a hidden valley with scenic rock formations. Despite their resemblance to human figures, these amazing formations are entirely natural.
Cappadocian Handwoven Carpets and Kilims Workshop: see traditional handwoven carpets and kilims.
Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley): known for its natural rock formations that resemble animals.
Three Beauties: three beautiful fairy chimneys with their hats, a symbol of Cappadocia.
Overnight in Cappadocia.

After our lunch break, we will visit Selime Cathedral and Derinkuyu Underground City, one of the best-preserved underground cities in Cappadocia. We will also pass by Nar Crater Lake during our journey. Afterwards, we will drive back to Pigeon Valley to see the pigeon houses, which were built to collect guano. After the tour, we will return to the hotel to relax. Overnight in Cappadocia.

Our tour continues with a visit to Topkapi Palace (closed on Tuesdays), the Ottoman Palace famous for its beautiful landscapes that contribute to Istanbul’s iconic skyline. It is a treasure trove of history located on the historical peninsula.

Next, we will visit the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque due to its stunning interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. This mosque, built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet, stands across from the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.
we will visit the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, previously known as the Church of Divine Wisdom. The Hagia Sophia is the greatest surviving example of Byzantine architecture and was the largest church in the world for 1,000 years, decorated with stunning 6th-century golden mosaics. Today, it serves as a mosque.
We will take a lunch break at 1:00 pm. In the afternoon, we will visit the Grand Covered Bazaar.
This labyrinth of streets and passages houses more than 4,000 shops, each specializing in different trades: goldsmiths, carpet sellers, and Turkish arts and crafts, such as hand-painted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware and trays, water ewers, onyx-ware, and meerschaum pipes.
After the tour, we will transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.